Chief Grand Secretary, Please Show Some Respect; This Life, I No Longer Want You

Ye Feishuang spent fifteen years in the service of Chen Yan, a man she loved deeply after he rescued her from a life of abuse in her prestigious but hostile family. Raised as an unfavored daughter of a concubine, she had been bullied relentlessly until Chen Yan, her betrothed, pulled her from a freezing lake and promised her protection. However, on the eve of their wedding, he framed her for adultery, reducing her from a wife to a mistress. For eleven years, she lived in isolation, caring for him while he gradually destroyed her reputation and spirit. Bedridden and dying of a wasting illness, Ye Feishuang reflected on her mistakes with bitter clarity. She realized she had abandoned her martial arts training and her true self to please him. As she drew her final breath, she wished never to meet him again, dreaming of a life where she wore red, rode a swift horse, and remained free.

Ye Feishuang awoke to find herself reborn ten years into the past, back on a boat journey to the Zheng family. Determined not to repeat the tragedies of her previous life, she anticipated the first attack from Granny Li, a servant sent by her Sixth Sister to disfigure her. Instead of cowering, Ye Feishuang struck Granny Li unconscious and threw her into the river, effectively silencing the witness. Her decisive action did not go unnoticed; a mysterious noble young master, who had been hiding in her cabin from assassins, witnessed the entire event. Ye Feishuang negotiated a deal, allowing him to hide in exchange for payment, and later cared for him when he fell ill with a fever. During his delirium, he mistook her for a lost elder sister, revealing a deep emotional wound of his own.

Chen Yan, Ye Feishuang’s former fiancé, was also traveling on the same vessel, having survived an assassination attempt. His servant, Jinfeng, suspected Ye Feishuang’s involvement due to her earlier confrontation with the authorities, where she had boldly used Chen Yan’s name to deter them. Jinfeng barged into Ye Feishuang’s cabin to search for the fugitive but found only the empty bed. When Chen Yan arrived, he witnessed Jinfeng’s insolence toward Ye Feishuang and, for the first time, struck his servant to defend her honor. This unexpected display of protection confused Ye Feishuang, who had always been made to endure such humiliations silently. Seizing the moment, she formally requested to break off their engagement, citing their incompatibility. Chen Yan, intrigued by her sharpness and sincerity, refused to cancel the marriage immediately, sensing that she was not the simple country girl she appeared to be.

Upon arriving at the Zheng residence, Ye Feishuang faced immediate hostility from her half-siblings, the Sixth Young Lady and Ninth Young Master. They attempted to humiliate her by dousing her in dog’s blood, but she turned the tables, causing them to fall from a tree and injuring themselves. When her legal mother, Mrs. Qin, demanded punishment for Ye Feishuang, the Third Aunt, a rival household manager, intervened to protect her. Ye Feishuang strategically aligned herself with the Third Aunt, exposing the servants’ corruption and securing her position within the family. She refused to endure the poor treatment her parents received, confronting the staff and demanding proper respect. Her transformation from a submissive victim to a formidable opponent caught the attention of Chen Yan, who observed her from afar with growing curiosity and a sense of unease, realizing that the woman he once controlled was now a stranger he could not easily read.